![]() So many people have opened up to others only to be shot down or criticized. It calms the soul and reduces their anxiety. ![]() ![]() I have discovered the importance of listening to our clients, hearing them out, and providing an empathetic ear. Yalom quotes Carl Rogers who identified essential qualities of an effective therapist, “accurate empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness.” I encourage my brothers and sisters in behavioral health and other service positions to daily practice these simple characteristics. He asked his clients, “If your tears had a voice, what would they be saying?” Yalom asks, “ What do you do when your client weeps?” He suggests counselors to not be so quick to comfort and get out of that sadness, but rather to stay with it. It is a powerful part of therapy to come alongside our clients as they process their emotions. I have learned the therapeutic value of being in the moment with a client when they are dealing with a stressful thought, and listening to the symptoms that he/she is experiencing. How counterintuitive it was for me when leading groups at Grand Canyon University to gently nod a person out of their comfort zone. ![]() In my opinion, people go to great efforts to remain in a comfortable state. He suggests that the concern for death includes survival and avoidance of pain. Takeaways for me include the 4 ultimate concerns for a person: meaning of life, fear of isolation, freedom, and death. I just finished reading this bestselling book by acclaimed psychiatrist Irvin D. ![]()
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